Five Lone Conference student-athletes were chosen to receive an award from the Lone Star Conference Degree Completion Scholarship program for 2010-11.
Northeastern State’s Sarah Millar, Southeastern Oklahoma’s Crystal Trussell and Cole Jones, along with West Texas A&M’s Kayla Sisco and Mollie Peterson are the scholarship recipients for the program’s second year. These five student-athletes collectively have an average grade point average of 3.5, with four of the five boasting a 3.3 GPA or better.
“This class of scholarship recipients is no doubt deserving of this special recognition and financial assistance. Each of these five student-athletes has not only excelled while representing the Lone Star Conference in athletic competition, they’ve all demonstrated an ability to succeed in the classroom, on campus and in the community,” said Stan Wagnon, LSC commissioner. “We’re proud of this year’s recipients and confident they will capitalize on the opportunities created through this program.”
The purpose of the LSC Degree Completion Scholarship Program is to provide financial assistance for completion of a first baccalaureate degree to deserving student-athletes in the conference. A total of $11,000 was distributed again this year, bringing the sum to $22,000 in two years. The funding is made possible through the NCAA Conference Grant program.
Millar, a former women’s basketball standout at NSU, is completing her degree in chemistry/mathematics. She led the RiverHawks playoff run last season to the South Central Regional championship game. Millar was named to the 2010 LSC North Division all-academic team.
Trussell, who just exhausted her eligibility with the SE volleyball squad, is on track for a degree in elementary education. She left a mark on the Savage Storm record book with several top-10 rankings and the school marks for match attack percentage and career block assists.
Jones, a former football player at SE, is finishing his health & physical education degree. The starting placekicker for the Savage Storm, he was named all-LSC North Division second-team as a junior and shares the school record for longest field goal (56 yards).
Sisco, who finished her four-year career with WTAMU’s women’s soccer team, is completing her degree in interdisciplinary studies. She earned co-Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-LSC acclaim in 2009 as the Lady Buffs advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time in the program’s history before seeing their memorable season end in the NCAA quarterfinals.
Peterson, who completed her senior year of eligibility with WTAMU’s women’s golf program, is pursuing a degree in interdisciplinary studies. She placed fourth individually at the 2010 LSC Championships to pace the Lady Buffs to a second-place team finish and a spot in the regional field, where they finished fourth. Peterson was named to the National Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar team.
This year’s recipients were chosen from 17 applicants representing nine different schools and nine different sports in the league. The winners were selected after evaluating demonstrated need, GPA, academic awards and honors, plus meaningful and consistent community involvement. Applicants were required to provide a statement that outlined how they would benefit from the scholarship, why they haven’t completed their degree yet, and how they plan to use the degree. Other considerations listed on the application were academic achievements, extracurricular activities and leadership roles on campus, and athletic accomplishments.
Last year’s initial scholarship recipients all earned their degrees. Cameron’s Renee Breeze, Texas Woman’s Ashley Martin and Midwestern State’s Allison Schreiber graduated in December 2009, while Tarleton State’s Nicole Cone and East Central’s Kacey Thomas finished in May 2010.